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Tools — reason codes

Every Stripe dispute reason code, what to fight with.

Reference for the most common chargeback reason codes hitting Shopify + Stripe shops. Each one shows the winning evidence pattern, sourced from Stripe docs, Visa Core Rules, and Mastercard's Chargeback Guide.

  • 13.1Visa
    Strong

    Merchandise / Services Not Received

    Customer claims they ordered something but never received it. Most common reason code for DTC Shopify shops.

    Winning evidence pattern

    • Carrier proof of delivery (FedEx/UPS/USPS) — GPS-stamped
    • Address-of-record match between Shopify shipping + carrier delivery
    • Customer-IP geolocation matching billing address
    • Prior purchase history — repeat-buyer signal
  • 13.3Visa
    Moderate

    Not as Described / Defective Merchandise

    Customer claims the product wasn't what they ordered or arrived defective.

    Winning evidence pattern

    • Product photos, dimensions, materials match Shopify product page snapshot
    • Customer's support thread (Zendesk) showing first complaint timeline
    • Return policy clearly accepted at checkout
    • Refund-overlap check (was a refund offered and refused?)
  • 10.4Visa
    Moderate

    Other Fraud — Card-Absent Environment

    Cardholder claims they didn't authorize the charge (online fraud).

    Winning evidence pattern

    • 3DS authentication result + AVS/CVC match
    • Customer IP geolocation + device fingerprint
    • Prior transaction history with same card
    • Delivery to billing address (not a drop address)
  • 4837Mastercard
    Moderate

    No Cardholder Authorization

    Mastercard equivalent of Visa 10.4 — unauthorized card-not-present transaction.

    Winning evidence pattern

    • 3DS authentication result
    • AVS/CVC match results
    • Customer IP + device fingerprint history
    • Multi-purchase history with same card
  • 4855Mastercard
    Strong

    Goods or Services Not Provided

    Mastercard equivalent of Visa 13.1 — product or service was never delivered.

    Winning evidence pattern

    • Carrier proof of delivery
    • Tracking timeline + GPS-stamped events
    • Customer support thread without prior complaint
    • Address verification
  • credit_not_processedStripe
    Difficult

    Credit Not Processed

    Customer claims a refund was promised but never issued. Often filed in parallel with a refund request.

    Winning evidence pattern

    • Stripe refund record showing refund was issued
    • Refund-overlap check (refund timestamp vs dispute timestamp)
    • Customer support thread acknowledging the refund
    • Bank statement evidence (if customer's bank delayed posting)

Note: “Win likelihood” is a directional rating based on industry benchmark data + our internal observed performance — not a guarantee. Actual outcomes vary by reason code, evidence completeness, issuing bank, and the customer's purchase history. Victava's live published win rate breaks down our actual performance per reason code with 95% confidence intervals.

Stop guessing what evidence wins.

Victava pulls the right evidence for the right reason code automatically. You see the factor breakdown, you approve, we submit.